Henley’s new CD ‘end’ of the magnificence
■ With a new album that
falls flat, the ex-Eagles’ singer
has pulled out of the fast
lane and exited the freeway
By Scott Pesznecker
Oregon Daily Emerald
Looking for a CD that will
knock your socks off?
Need a new sound for your
stereo system that is as powerful
as it is fresh? Are you eying that
new Don Henley CD because you
know how good his past work
has been, and you’re eager to
hear his music after a 10-year
stray from songwriting?
Obviously, you haven’t sat
down and listened to “Inside
Job” yet.
Because if you had, you
wouldn’t be so eager to hear it
again. You’d just keep on look
ing.
Unlike previous albums where
Henley’s music has been capti
vating, intriguing and incredibly
original, this new CD is insult
ingly elementary.
Henley’s signature songs, such
as “The End of the Innocence,”
“The Heart of the Matter” and
“The Boys of Summer” are de
fined with clear, strong vocals
and a musical style that strikes
chords with most classic rock
fans.
But not “Inside Job.” Henley
sacrificed his powerful simplici
ty for utter stupidity. By using
computer technology in an at
tempt to enhance his voice and
instruments, Henley walks a thin
line of sounding no different
than the “bubble-gum” groups he
criticizes.
And even worse, his character
istic use of 1980s-like back
ground instruments — usually
one of his music’s strong points
— creates a very confusing array
of musical noises.
Say goodbye to life in the fast
lane — I’ll be shocked if this al
bum makes it out of the parking
lot.
Perhaps the biggest disap
pointment on “Inside Job” is the
song “Goodbye to a River.” This
is a song that had great potential,
about how society’s need for
more power has caused tremen
dous environmental damage.
But Henley fails to lock mean
ing into the music. The lyrics in
“Goodbye to a River” are straight
forward and boring. Coupled
with the song’s slow, tragic mu
sic, Henley’s creation seems less
like a song and more like an ex
pensive public service an
nouncement: “Dams are bad!”
So, with all that said, if you
were looking for the quality
sounds and lyrics traditionally
found in Henley albums, your
best bet would be to buy his
greatest hits CD, or wait another
10 years for his next release.
If you saw the new Star Wars
movie and liked Jar Jar Binks —
another product of a perfection
ist gone bad — well, Henley’s
new CD might be right up your
alley.
Catching up with the Long Beach Dub All Stars
, Courtesy Tribune Media Services
The Long Beach Dub All-Stars, composed of Sublime alumni, have planned a summer tour to complement the recent release of
their debut CD, “Right Back.” The band changed their name after Sublime lead singer Brad Nowell died in 1996.
By Andy Argyrakis
Tribune Media Services
CHICAGO — The spirit of
Sublime lives on as the Long
Beach Dub All Stars continue in
the tradition of surf and groove
inspired alternative rock.
Of course, that's no surprise
given that Sublime alumni re
grouped to form the All Stars af
ter the 1996 heroin-overdose
death of Sublime singer, Brad
Nowell.
Band members could have
stuck with the name — but de
cided to change it as a means of
moving on, said Marshall Good
man, who played with Sublime
in the early ‘90s and later re
turned to become a part of the
All Stars. He's responsible for
the group's drums, turntables
and percussion beats.
“We changed the name be
cause Sublime died when Brad
died,” Goodman said. “It's chal
lenging in the sense that we
don't use the Sublime name on
any of our advertisements nor
do we mention anything like,
‘We’re the Long Beach All Stars,
and we used to be part of Sub
lime.’ We do not want to exploit
the name just to sell more
records. We want to keep the
sprit of Sublime alive and keep
moving forward in this new di
rection.”
Indeed the band is moving
forward — and is expected to
earn even more fans on this
summer’s touring circuit.
It has kept its original incarna
tion's intricate mix of hip-hop,
jazz, reggae and rock, but still
managed to update its sound on
its Dream Works Records debut
CD, “Right Back.” The album
has spawned three singles, and
sales continue to climb with the
group’s constant touring.
“The members of the group
come from all different back
grounds and grew up listening
to a wide array of music,” Good
man said.
“When people check out the
new record, they will see that
mix and a live show will really
showcase each band member’s
individual talents and instru
ment-playing abilities,” he said.
The band hasn't forgotten its
roots and typically performs a
couple of Sublime songs on
stage.
“We always want to be posi
tive with the grooves we pro
duce, and I'm at the point in my
life where I am blessed with still
being able to express myself
through music,” Goodman said.
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THEATRE
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